BeSmartee Unveils New Mortgage TPO Platform

BeSmartee Unveils New Mortgage TPO Platform
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: BeSmartee

Mortgagetech innovator BeSmartee, which demonstrated its Smart Mortgage advanced origination technology at FinovateSpring 2017, announced late last week that its new automated loan submission offering is now available for wholesale lenders and their third-party originators (TPO).

The BeSmartee Wholesale Mortgage TPO Platform provides an automated, centralized submission portal originators can use to submit borrower applications and related documentation. Once this simple, guided process is completed, the third-party originator will be automatically directed to the MLO Command Center where they can work with borrowers in real-time to ensure loan requirements are met. This includes tasks such as editing files and running pricing to lock or float the interest rates.

“We’ve worked side by side with our wholesale lender clients for over two years to create the BeSmartee Wholesale Mortgage TPO platform,” BeSmartee co-founder Arvin Sahakian explained. “(The solution is) a truly ideal loan submission portal (that) not only meets the needs of our respective wholesale lender clients, but also their valued TPO network of brokers.”

BeSmartee’s new offering can also be paired with the company’s mortgage POS technology. This provides an even more seamless, fully-automated application, collection, and submission process that removes the need for the third-party originator to be involved in file submission. The TPO platform also gives loan originators the ability to access more than 165 partner software integrations including mortgage pricing engine tools, automated underwriting systems (AUS), and electronic signature solutions.

Founded in 2008 and based in Huntington Beach, California, BeSmartee made its Finovate debut two years ago at FinovateSpring 2017. Last fall, the company announced that it had integrated with Fannie Mae’s Desktop Underwriter system to further automate and streamline loan originations. With more than 25,000 applications a month processed via its platforms, BeSmartee announced both an integration with fellow Finovate alum Equifax and a partnership with mobile platform designer LoanFuel last summer.

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Temenos Teams Up with Eurobank, Bank of Khyber

Temenos Teams Up with Eurobank, Bank of Khyber
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Temenos

Eurobank Group is to overhaul its core and digital banking with Temenos’ T24 Transact and T24 Infinity, reports Martin Whybrow of Fintech Futures (Finovate’s sister publication).

The project will cover the group’s international operations. It will start in Cyprus, with the intention of swiftly moving on to Eurobank Private Bank Luxemburg, with Eurobank Bulgaria AD (Postbank) and Eurobank AD Beograd (Serbia) also on the roadmap.

The project comprises a full IT renovation program. The bank has also taken Temenos’ WealthSuite for Cyprus and Luxembourg, with the aim of reducing time-to-market for new products and services and improving automation of its private banking operations.

Also in the mix is Temenos Analytics to support Eurobank’s marketing campaigns. Development tools, which will use the T24 APIs, are intended to speed up building and deploying applications around the core.

In terms of the initial project in Cyprus, Stavros Ioannou, deputy CEO and group COO, Eurobank, said: “We look forward to this cooperation, as this is the first stage in the wider implementation of Temenos banking software across the group.” He described the project as supporting the bank’s “vital digital transformation journey” which is intended to shape “advanced relationships” and provide customers with “high quality service and a vast variety of innovative and tailor made products.”

The bank currently uses a range of legacy international and Greek packages, including Oracle FSS’s Flexcube in Serbia and CSoft’s VCSBank++ in Bulgaria, FinTech Futures understands. The holding group is Greece-based EFG Eurobank Ergasias.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Temenos participated in our developers conference, FinDEVr Silicon Valley, in 2015. The company is also an alum of our Finovate conferences, demonstrating its Connect Mobile Banking solution at FinovateEurope – also in 2015.

In other Temenos news, the company announced a partnership with Pakistan-based Bank of Khyber, which will also deploy Temenos’ T24 Transact and Infinity solutions.

National Data Consultants (NDC), Temenos’ partner in the region, was selected as the system integrator for the project.

Government-owned Bank of Khyber embarked on new core banking software search in 2018, as reported by FinTech Futures, looking for new tech to support its network of 166 domestic branches (including 84 Islamic banking branches).

Temenos and NDC were selected “after a thorough due diligence process,” according to Muhammad Azfar Latif, CIO, Bank of Khyber.

“We hope to turn this bank as a model for other industry players locally and internationally,” he said.

Saif Ul Islam, MD and CEO, Bank of Khyber, believes the new technology will enable the bank “to have a strong footing on the digital platforms.” It also meets “the bank’s strategic long-term plans in increasing operational efficiency,” he added.

Jean-Paul Mergeai, MD, Temenos Middle East and Africa, said Bank of Khyber has become the thirteenth bank in Pakistan to join the vendor’s client list. Other T24 Transact users in the country include Khushhali Bank, State Bank of Pakistan, Silkbank, Soneri Bank, and Meezan Bank.

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Analyst All-Stars – Global Fintech: What’s Hot & What’s Not…

By Charlie Burgess Posted on
Categories: FinovateSpring 2019

At every Finovate, we welcome four leading fintech research analysts to take the stage for seven minutes each to present key opportunities for the future. Take a look back on our most recent set from FinovateSpring 2019 featuring Michelle Evans, Global Head of Digital Consumer Research at Euromonitor International; Jacob Jegher, Senior Vice President, Banking Head of Strategy, Javelin Strategy and Research; Dan Latimore, Senior Vice President, Banking Group, Celent; and Paul Berg, Senior Managing Consultant, Gallup.

Early booking for FinovateSpring 2020 is also now open! Book your tickets now at the lowest possible price!

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Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: AlphaPoint, BeSmartee, Feedzai, Five Degrees, identitii, Insuritas, MasterCard, Temenos, Yoyo

On Finovate.com

  • BeSmartee Unveils New Mortgage TPO Platform.

Around the web

  • Identitii is now a ‘Co-Sell Ready’ partner for Microsoft.
  • Feedzai launches tools to help banks offer account opening solutions with fraud prevention.
  • Bankingblocks leverages Five Degrees’ Matrix solution as its digital core banking platform.
  • Eurobank Group selects Temenos‘ T24 Transact for its subsidiaries.
  • Insuritas Launches Tucson Federal Insurance Agency for Tucson FCU.
  • Former Mastercard executive David Yates joins Yoyo as chairman.
  • AlphaPoint names co-founder Igor Telyatnikov as its new CEO.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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Qatar Backs SoFi; Ripple Powers Cross-Border Payments in Brazil

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: BankBazaar, Finovate Global, MasterCard, Ripple, SoFi, Strands, Temenos

As Finovate goes increasingly global, so does our coverage of financial technology. Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World is our weekly look at fintech innovation in developing economies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • SoFi announces $500 million investment led by Qatar.
  • Emirates NBD to leverage technology from Amazon Web Services to build an AI-enabled “bank of the future”.
  • New partnership between Turkey’s Isbank and Yandex.Checkout to support transactions in rubles for Russians shopping online in Turkey.

Central and Southern Asia

  • Strands strikes digital banking deal with India’s Tech Mahindra.
  • BankBazaar to offer financing options for customers of furniture and home products marketplace Pepperfry.
  • Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog, a premier think tank of the Indian government, sees a $31 billion Indian fintech market by 2020.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Brazilian exchange brokerage, Frente Corretora de Cambio, goes live with cross-border remittance solution powered by Ripple technology.
  • World Finance features Sao Paulo among its Top 5 Emerging Fintech Hubs.
  • IMFBlog looks at how fintech can lower remittance costs in Latin America.

Asia-Pacific

  • The central bank of Indonesia, Bank Indonesia, unveils its Quick Response Indonesia Standard (QRIS), a new QR code system.
  • Mastercard and UOB partner to introduce the UOB Retail Business Metal Card designed for APAC SMEs.
  • B2B cross border payments company TransferMate picks up payment license in Singapore.

Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Ghana’s ARB Apex Bank reups with Temenos.
  • Titan Trust Bank of Nigeria chooses Oracle FSS for its core and digital banking technology.
  • CNBCAfrica profiles South African payments and merchant acquiring solutions provider Crossfin.

Central and Eastern Europe

  • Lithuania fintech Paysera goes live in Romania.
  • Polish “credit of fintech-as-a-service” innovator Symmetrical.ai raises $1.5 million (€1.3m) in funding.
  • Billon Solutions and Microsoft announce partnership with the University of Warsaw to develop academic use cases for DLT technology.

Top image designed by Freepik

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Biometrics Tech Firm ID R&D Receives $5.7 Million in Funding

Biometrics Tech Firm ID R&D Receives $5.7 Million in Funding
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: ID R&D

New York biometrics technology provider ID R&D has raised $5.7 million in Series A funding, reports Jane Connolly of Fintech Futures, Fintech’s sister publication.

The round was led by a new investor, GSR Ventures, with participation from an existing investor, Gagarin Capital. This is the New York-based company’s second investment; the first being a Seed round of an undisclosed amount raised in December of 2017.

The investment will be used to meet the increasing demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) based voice and behavioral solutions, along with voice and face anti-spoofing technologies. ID R&D will also be using it to add engineering staff and drive international sales.

“What we’ve consistently heard from our customers is that ID R&D’s technologies and solutions stand alone in offering a vastly simplified user experience that doesn’t sacrifice the security of authentication,” said ID R&D CEO, Alexey Khitrov.

The biometric tech provider aims to meet the demand from businesses for conversational interface (CI) and replace existing password and security question-based authentication processes with quicker, simpler voice and facial recognition solutions that require little or no involvement from the user.

The firm’s passive, anti-spoofing capabilities are designed to thwart fraudsters who attempt to access accounts using synthesized or recorded voices; or with photos, videos, or models of the real user’s face.

“With Grand View Research forecasting the speech and voice recognition market size to reach nearly $32 billion by 2025, businesses are racing to keep up with demand for authentication that works across multiple platforms and is as convenient as it is secure,” added Khitrov.

At FinovateFall 2018, Khitrov demoed SafeChat 2.0, an application that passively verifies a user’s identity throughout the conversation (typing or speaking) without asking a them to do anything special to authenticate themselves. In addition to SafeChat 2.0, the company offers IDVoice, a standalone version of ID R&D’s core voice biometric capability; IDSquared, a tool that validates the user by how they type their login credentials and by capturing their face at the same time; and IDBehave, a behavioral biometrics solution that creates a unique biometric template for each user.

ID R&D has seen rapid growth, doubling its sales contracts last year, growing its customer base by 25% in Q1 2019, doubling its staff, and opening a West Coast headquarters. The firm also added a major biometric integrator and a semiconductor company.

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Bento for Business Hires on Two C-Level Appointees

Bento for Business Hires on Two C-Level Appointees
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Bento for Business

B2B payment solutions provider Bento for Business is boosting its leadership team this week. The company has appointed Paula Bachman as Chief Financial Officer and Tracy Hansen as Chief Marketing Officer.

The two will be the first to serve in these capacities, as both roles have been newly created to aid the company during its recent time of growth. Last year, the company’s year-over-year gross dollar volume increased by 3x.

“Paula and Tracy are experienced leaders and critical hires for Bento during this pivotal time in our growth trajectory. They each bring the knowledge and insights needed to progress Bento’s evolution,” said Farhan Ahmad, Bento CEO. “With the right team in place, we are now focused on making further innovations to our financial operating platform to deliver a full-stack payment solution with flexible funding options, built-in compliance, APIs, third-party integrations and more to meet the evolving needs of modern businesses.”

Paula Bachman

In her new role, Bachman (pictured right) will help Bento define new strategies, implement scalable business processes and systems, execute transactions with Bento’s investors and business partners, and lead the human resources group. Prior to Bento, Bachman worked at Networked Insights, a data analytics SaaS firm.

Tracy Hansen

As CMO, Hansen (pictured right) is charged with overseeing and managing Bento’s growth. She has worked at B2B companies including Tealium, NetApp, and CA Technologies, and was most recently CMO of Renaissance Learning, an education software company.

Bento offers an all-in-one platform to help small businesses manage their spending. The company also provides a variety of payment cards to offer businesses more control and visibility over their employees’ spending.

Founded in 2014, Bento demoed its platform at FinovateSpring 2015. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and Chicago. Last month, Bento formed a deal with Visa to include the company as an additional payment card in the Bento for Business platform.

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Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Bento for Business, Gusto, ID R&D, PayActiv, Ping Identity

On Finovate.com

  • Biometrics Tech Firm ID R&D Receives $5.7m Funding.
  • Bento for Business Hires on Two C-Level Appointees.

Around the web

  • Gusto opens office in New York City.
  • PayActiv adds Dan Quan to advisory board.
  • Citrix Analytics and Ping Identity partner to enable contextual access.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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Dashlane Raises $110 Million for Password Security

Dashlane Raises $110 Million for Password Security
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Dashlane, Funding

Password management platform Dashlane is riding the momentum of the $30 million it raised last month. Today, the New York-based company more than tripled its last investment, pulling in a $110 million Series D round.

The investment also more than doubles Dashlane’s previous funding total, boosting it to $211 million. Sequoia Capital led the round, with existing investors Rho Ventures, FirstMark Capital, and Bessemer Venture Partners also participating.

However, as CEO Emmanuel Schalit made clear in a blog post, “Dashlane’s ultimate success will not be measured by how much money we raise, but by our ability to empower people and businesses around the world to take control of their digital lives.” Dashlane is best known for its B2C offering that autogenerates secure passwords, as well as its form auto-filling function and digital wallet that securely stores users’ credit card information for fast online purchases. The company will use today’s investment to enhance its core product, add new capabilities, and build its brand to become synonymous with password security.

Schalit said that Dashlane is only “scratching the surface” of securing digital identities. “Billions of people and millions of businesses around the world feel the pain of digital identity – from breaches to stolen identities and the nuisance of remembering passwords. Few are even aware that there is a better way, and we are going to change that,” he said.

In addition to its B2C offerings, Dashlane also provides solutions that help businesses seamlessly onboard staff with new accounts, and has a partner program to allow brands to co-brand Dashlane’s identity manager as a service. The company’s partners include Visa, Intel, and yubico.

“While most people are not aware of the magnitude of these issues, an entire economy is booming and growing in sophistication around harvesting and weaponizing stolen credentials, with participation from nation-states and cybercriminals,” said Sequoia Partner Jim Goetz, who will join the company’s board of directors. “We believe this category has the potential to one day surpass anti-virus in size, and we are excited to partner with the emerging market leader as they create and grow the category.”

Dashlane also announced it has recruited Joy Howard (pictured), former CMO at Lyft, as its Chief Marketing Officer. Howard, who is slated to begin her role at Dashlane in August, will oversee the company’s global marketing initiatives. She brings to Dashlane her experience gained from leadership positions at Sonos, Patagonia, Nike, and Coca-Cola.

Since it was founded in 2009, Dashlane has amassed 11+ million users from 180 countries across the globe. The company demoed its password manager and keyboard-less ecommerce transaction technology at FinovateEurope 2013.

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Strands Strikes Digital Banking Deal with Tech Mahindra

Strands Strikes Digital Banking Deal with Tech Mahindra
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Strands

Fresh off its appearance at FinovateSpring, digital money management software developer Strands has announced a new strategic partnership with Tech Mahindra. The IT services and consulting firm will leverage Strands’ AI- and big data-powered technology and financial services expertise to help its clients enhance the customer experience with more contextual and personalized solutions.

“Our white-label digital money management solutions give financial institutions an edge over the competition, speed up internal processes, and help them reap the benefits of a more engaged relationship with their customers,” Strands CEO Erik Brieva said. He added that the strategic partnership would “accelerate the delivery of tangible business value.”

Strands uses big data and advanced machine learning to provide a range of offerings including personal and business financial management, customer-linked offers, insights-driven analysis with its Engager product, and open banking via its API hub. With more than 600 implementations to date, the company seamlessly integrates its technology into bank’s existing systems and, by giving FIs more relevant insights into their customer’s wants and needs, delivers both relationship and smarter banking at the same time.

Tech Mahindra’s Global Head of Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance, Gautam Bhasin put the partnership with Strands in the broader context of the company’s TechMNxt charter. The charter calls on the company to support a partner ecosystem to facilitate the development of solutions based on “next generation” technologies like artificial intelligence.

“Our collaboration with Strands will further enable us to implement this unique digital financial solution to enhance end-customer experience and faster time to market of products and services by banks, as well as increase return of investment for our customers,” Bhasin said.

A multinational Indian IT, integrated engineering solutions, and BPO provider, Tech Mahindra was founded in 1986 and is based in Pune. With $4.9 billion in revenues in 2018, the firm is a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, and has more than 121,800 workers in 90 countries. The highest ranked non-U.S. company in the Forbes Global Digital 100 roster last year, Tech Mahindra has more than 900 clients around the world. Chander Prakash Gurnani, who won top honors at the CEO World Awards last fall, is CEO and Managing Director.

In collaboration with Mastercard, Strands demonstrated its SME Cash Flow Manager Enhanced by Mastercard Technology earlier this year at FinovateSpring. The solution gives business owners actionable insights to help them save time and money, as well as the ability to monitor Quickbooks data within their digital banking experience. SME Cash Flow Manager enables financial institutions to offer the kind of digital financial management solutions that will lead to greater engagement between FIs and their SME customers.

Founded in 2004, Strands maintains offices in Barcelona, Spain; Miami, Florida; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Kuala Lumpur. The company has raised more than $55 million in funding, and includes Dalbergia, Sequel Venture Partners, Indigo Investment Corporation, and Debaeque among its investors.

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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Dashlane, Exate, Fiserv, PayPal, PaySend, Strands, Temenos

On Finovate.com

  • Dashlane Raises $110 Million for Password Security.
  • Strands Strikes Digital Banking Deal with Tech Mahindra.

Around the web

  • Paysend to launch crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs.com.
  • Ghana’s ARB Apex Bank reups with Temenos.
  • Exate Technologies joins OpenFin’s fintech ecosystem.
  • Forbes: PayPal’s Latest Milestone: $10 Billion In Small Business Loans.
  • Atlanta Small Business Network looks at how Fiserv delivers fraud prevention across the globe.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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FinovateAsia is Heading Back to Singapore!

FinovateAsia is Heading Back to Singapore!
By Tyler Ferst Posted on
Categories: Finovate Marketing, FinovateAsia 2019


600+ attendees. 35+ firms demoing. 100+ expert speakers.

Insights and connections to the Asian fintech community you will only find at Finovate.

Save the date for FinovateAsia 2019! We’re moving back to Singapore this October 14 through 16, with a show that will feature demos of new fintech solutions, key insights from thought-leaders and influencers, and networking that delivers meaningful connections with fintech decision-makers.

Lowest price to attend ends Friday, May 31!


The agenda is packed with the latest fintech innovations, industry titans, and up-and-comers. The first day will feature digital trailblazers and disruptors analyzing the latest trends in fintech and financial services digital transformation in Asia. The stellar speaker faculty will debate the big issues facing financial institutions and fintechs in the new tech driven world. And the second day will feature Finovate’s signature live demos from 35+ fintech innovators.


Plus, don’t miss the two add-on Summits on October 16 that will give you the chance to take a deeper dive into Artificial Intelligence or Blockchain Applications.

It’s not just what you see and learn. Make essential business connections with the 600+ senior decision makers at the event. You can arrange meetings using the networking app before the event to make the most of your time there.

Register by Friday, May 31 and save up to $1,100. Book online here today or contact our customer services team at +1 (888) 670-8200 or [email protected].


Make it at FinovateAsia!

Whether a new innovation or service, partnership or brand pivot, you’ll reach an audience of 600+ of the most influential people in fintech. Finovate’s format of seven minutes on stage, exhibition stand, attendee introductions, marketing exposure, and more delivers you a fantastic ROI.

The demo application process is competitive, so apply early to give your company the best chance of getting on stage. Plus, secure the lowest possible rate if chosen to demo.


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